Fuel device



Sept. 18, 1934. c. JUSTHEIM FUEL DEVICE Original Filed Jan. 23, 1931 lid Patented Sept. 18, 1934 UNlTED STATES 'l GFFICE Application January 23, 193i, Serial No. 510,745? Renewed December 22, 19833 6 Claims.

My invention relates to fuel supply devices and has for its object to provide a new and efficient fuel device for taking the fuel from the storage tank of an internal combustion engine and car rying it to the intake manifold of the engine, vaporized ready for consumption.

A further object is to provide a device for lifting the vapors from an aerated supply tank and carrying the said vapors to the intake manifold of the engine in condition for instantaneous complete combustion, thereby providing greater mileage with less cost than has been accomplished heretofore.

A still further object is to provide a means for vaporizing the fuels in the tank prior to carrying them to the engine, which consists of aerating the fuels and lifting the aerated fuels from one portion of the surface of the tank.

These objects I accomplish with the device illustrated in the acompanying drawing in which similar numerals and letters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views and as described in the specification forming a part of this application and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing in which I have shown the best and most prefered manner of building my invention Figure l is a perspective view of my device. Figure 2 is a diametrical section of the suction portion of my device. Figure '3 is a vertical section of a fuel supply tank showing my vaporizing system installed therein. Figure 4 is a modified form of vaporizing the fuel at the tank in a smaller chamber, eliminating the need of the sliding fuel level gauge. Figure 5 is a section of a modified form of vaporizing the fuel in the tank. Figure 6 is a simple form of vaporizing the fuel in the tank.

In the drawing I have shown the manifold of the engine as A, and which manifold has a sump or catch pot 1 formed thereunder in which condensed fuel may collect for future use. Into the manifold A, I then secure a throttle pipe 2 in which a throttle valve 3 is mounted on a stem 4, with a control lever 5 secured on the outer free end of said stem by which said throttle valve is controlled. To the free end of the said pipe 2, I then secure a suction device and mixing chamber B, consisting of a Venturi tube formed of a tapered walled annular chamber B1 having the end of the walls 6 formed at a tangent to an outwardly curved wall 7 and then formed into outwardly tapered annular walls 8, a step 9 and parallel walls 10. An air control valve ll is carried in the open end of the chamber 12 formed by the walls 10, said valve being carried by a shaft 13 and having a control lever 14 on the outer free end thereof, by which the valve is controlled. It will be obvious that the valve may be controlled by springs when necessary. The end of the chamber 12 is open to the atmosphere or open to any suitable air cleaner. In the chamber B at the point of most constriction where the tapered walls merge with the curved walls I provide an annular row of perforations or ports 15 which ports lead into an annular chamber 16 formed between a plate 17 and an annular casing 18. The plate I? is also perforated and a chamber 19 is formed around the outer surface of the plate 1'! between the walls of the casing 18 and the said plate 17. Into the chamber 19 I then introduce a lead pipe 20 which lead pipe connects the device with the source of fuel supply.

The tank 0 of the device is provided with an. air tight filler cap I) and on the top of the tank I provide a tube 22 which is extended above the tank sumcient distance to guide a vertical float stem 21 therein and which tube 22 is connected to the lead pipe 20. Onto the end of the float stem 21, I secure a float member 23a having the top of the float formed into a perforated funnel 23 with the stem 21 secured to the top end of the funnel, the float being so placed in reference to the funnel as to keep the funnel spaced above the fuel at all times. Perforations 38 are formed through the funnel to equalize the pressure in the funnel to that of the space therearound.

The float 22a and funnel 23 operate within a cylindrical housing 24 which housing has the lower and spaced from the bottom of the tank so that the level of the fuel therein equals the level of the fuel in the tank and to vary the level of the fuel in the housing I provide a port 25 near the top of the housing to equalize the pressures in the housing with those in the tank and should it be found necessary to raise the level of the fuel in the housing over that in the tank the port 25 is closed or partially closed by a sliding plate 250., thereby causing the level of the fuel in the housing to raise, due to the vacuum then created above the level of the fuel in the housing by the suction of the engine.

The size of the port 25 will depend upon the amount of air necessary to equalize the pressure in the tank and the housing and the size will vary with various types of engines, depending upon the amount of fuel necessary for starting the engine, and upon the amount desired to raise the fuel in the housing above the level of the fuel in the tank. The size of'the perforations 38 may be varied in different models, depending upon the size of the port 25 and upon the amount desired to raise the fuel in the funnel.

Into the bottom of the housing I introduce an aerator pipe or series of pipes 26, which pipe 26, is bent up and extended through the top of the fuel tank into the atmospheric pressure surrounding the tank and a suitable air cleaner 27 is carried on the free end of the pipe so that all the air entering the fuel will be clean air. This pipe 26 carries air down into the fuel tank and releases it within the housing 24 where the air passes up through the fuel in the housing, aerating and vaporizing the fuel and filling the funnel with heavily laden fuel vapors. The suction from the engine draws these vapors to the mixing chamber B where they are mixed with the proper proportions of air before being drawn into the engine for combustion.

In the view shown in Figure 4, I have shown a vaporizing chamber 28 removed from the fuel tank and spaced slightly thereunder to drain all the fuel therefrom into the said chamber 28 from which it is carried to the engine in a manner similar to that shown in the other flgures of the device. In the chamber 28 I provide a permanently fixed funnel 29 secured to the end of the lead pipe 30, which lead pipe 30 is attached to the lead line pipe 20 and any vapors in the funnel will be drawn to the mixing chamber B.

Ports 290, are formed through the funnel above the fuel level and the edges of the funnel extend down into the fuel sufflcient distance to be immersed at all times. The size of the pofts 29a will be designed for various motors so that the desired amount of fuel will be obtained from the area within the funnel raising the level of the fuel in the funnel as necessary by the comparison of the sum of the area of the ports 29a to the area of the lead line 20.

A float 31 is pivoted within the chamber 28 with a valve 32 to control the flow of fuel from the tank into the chamber 28 through the pipe 33 which connects the said chamber with the fuel tank C. An aerator pipe 34 is carried in the chamber 28 to carry air down into the chamber and release it therein, under the funnel, so that the said air will pass up through the fuel in the chamber into the funnel, vaporizing the fuel under the funnel and introducing heavily laden vapors into the funnel when suction is being created therein by running the engine. The fuel tank C in Figure 4 will not be air tight and the chamber 28 must be air tight. In Figures 5 and 6, I have shown modified forms of vaporizing the fuel in tanks before drawing it to the engine for mixing and combustion.

In Figure 6 I have shown a tank in which an aerator pipe 39 is extended to near the bottom thereof and in the top I provide a draft funnel 40 from which a pipe 41 leads, to which pipe the pipe 20 may be connected to draw the fuel from the tank to the mixing chamber B.

The operation of my device is as follows:

Suction is created by rotation of the engine which draws air through the chamber B, and the tapered walls having the air ports at the point of least diameter causes the suction through the ports to be greatly increased which draws the air from the line 20 and thence from the funnel 23. This suction causes air to enter the pipe 26 and pass up through the fuel under the funnel and the air then drawn from the funnel into the chamber B will be fuel laden air for running the engine. The correct mixture is obtained by manipulation of the air valve 11 and the throttle valve 3, and by predetermined computations determining the consumption of the fuel and the sizes of the various ports and chambers, all of which will be figured for the specific engine on which the device is being used.

The fuel may either be drawn to the engine through the pipe 20 or through the pipe 20a, which pipe 20a leads to a chamber 36 surrounding a series of,ports 35 formed at the junction of the tapered walls 8 and the step 9. The form of the step 9 causes a suction which will draw the fuel from the annular chamber 36 around the junction of the step and wall. A baille 37 is carried in the chamber 36 separating the interior into two chambers with ports through the baffle connecting the chambers together.

Having thus described my invention I desire to secure by Letters Patent and claim:

1. In a fuel supply device of the class described the combination of a mixing chamber composed of a tapered chamber joined to a curved wall; tapered chamber formed to the outer edge of the curved wall with a parallel' wall chamber formed on the end thereof; ports through the tapered chamber at the junction of the chamber and curved wall; an annular chamber secured therearound, having a perforated annular plate formed therein; a lead line attached to said annular chamber leading to a source of fluid supply; valves to control the flow of fuel into the intake manifold from the mixing chamber and to control the flow air into the mixing chamber.

2. In a device of the class described the combination of a Venturi tube formed of a tapered walled chamber; a curved wall joining that chamber to an oppositely tapered chamber; ports through the tube at the point of most constriction; a valve to control the flow of fuel from said tube into the intake manifold of the engine; a valve to control the flow of air into the tube; an annular chamber surrounding said ports having a perforated plate carried therein; a lead line connecting the annular chamber with a source of fuel supply; a fuel supply tank having a guide housing formed therein in open connection therewith; a float carried in said guide housing having a funnel formed thereover to draw the vaporized fuels from the area within the float, said funnel being attached to said lead line; and means to direct air through the fuel under said float.

3. In a device of the class described the combination of a Venturi tube formed of a tapered walled chamber, a curved wall joining said chamber to an oppositely directed tapered chamber, and a parallel walled chamber formed thereon; a valve to control the flow of air into the parallel walled chamber; a valve to control the flow of fluids through the Venturi tube; an annular chamber surrounding the junction of the two tapered chambers; ports through the point of smallest constriction of the two chambers leading into said chamber; a lead line connecting said chamber with a fuel vaporizing chamber; a vaporizing chamber formed on a level below the fuel supply tank; a funnel formed therein connected with said lead line; ports through said funnel to equalize the pressure in chamber extended therefrom; means to control the flow of air into said tube; means to control the fiow of fuel through the tube; ports, at the tangential juncture of the tapered chamber; an annular chamber formed therearound having a perforated plate therein; a fuel supply tank;

a floating funnel within said tank; means to direct air currents through said tank to vaporize said fuel within the space covered by said funnel; and means to carry said vaporized fuelfrom said funnel to said annular chamber.

5. In a device of the class described the combination of a Venturi tube to draw vapors through a lead line pipe from a source of fuel supply; a valve to control the flow of fuel from said tube; a valve to control the flow of air into said tube; and a vaporizing chamber mounted adjacent said fuel supply tank having float means to allow fuel to flow into said chamber to a predetermined level, and having an aerator within said chamber adapted to direct air currents through the fuel therein into a funnel leading therefrom, said funnel being connected with said lead line pipe of the Venturi tube.

6. In a device of the class described the combination of a fuel suction device mounted to the intake manifold, comprising a tapered walled chamber; another chamber joined thereto by a curved wall with the walls of the first chamber tangential to the curved wall; means to catch excess fuel; ports through said chamber at the tangential juncture; means to control the flow of air through said tube; means to control the flow of fuel from said tube to said manifold; and an aerator mounted within a fuel supply tank adapted'to direct air currents into a floating funnel, said funnel being connected with an annular chamber around said ports in said tapered chamber.

CLARENCE I. J USTHEIM. 

